WHAT WE KNOW: The Ducks boast perhaps the premier 1-2 punch in the nation at tailback in juniors LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner. The real intrigue this year will be seeing just how creative Chip Kelly and Mark Helfrich get in designing sets that utilize them together. (For my money, the most exciting version of Kelly's offensive I've seen was the last couple of games prior to Jeremiah Johnson's knee injury in 2007, when the combination of Johnson, Dennis Dixon and Jonathan Stewart presented so many threats as to make a defense almost helpless. The current trio of James, Barner and Darron Thomas could be ready to give that group a run in terms of explosiveness and versatility.) James is quick and also bruising; Barner is a slasher and also a receiving threat. With James behind/next to Thomas and Barner elsewhere in the formation, good luck being an opposing linebacker.

WHAT WE DON'T KNOW: Just like at quarterback, we don't know which back will follow James and Barner on the depth chart, although unlike at quarterback, that guy is actually going to be counted on right from the get-go this season. James is certainly capable of carrying the ball 25 to 30 times a game, and has the heart to willingly take on such a challenge, but the Ducks would be better served limiting the wear and tear on him when possible. And if Barner is going to expand his role into that of a tazer, playing just as much slot receiver as running back, there will be carries to be had. But who gets them?

The front-runner probably remains Lache Seastrunk, the former five-star recruit who has struggled with ball security since arriving at Oregon, and who needs to become a more purposeful runner rather than a dancer. In that regard he should take a cue from James, who had a habit of going east-west a bit too much earlier in his career and raised his game to Heisman-caliber levels in part by learning to put his head down and run between the tackles when necessary. The pressure on Seastrunk to improve will be there this fall in the form of De'Anthony Thomas, an incoming freshman who drew raves when he began working out with the team this summer. Like Seastrunk, he's a smaller back with a million moves; like Barner, he may prove most valuable in the tazer role, as he demonstrated good hands, too, during summer workouts.

All the other incoming freshman, Tra Carson, did in high school was average more than 11 yards per carry and 200 yards per game. At 6 feet and 227 pounds, he's the biggest guy on this depth chart, which could perhaps allow him to carve out a niche this fall. The scout team should have plenty of talent, led by spring sensation Ayele Forde and two guys whose 2010-11 academic years were marred by injuries, Anthony Blake and Kenny Bassett. Blake missed last fall but got a chance to perform in the spring, while Bassett suffered a spring knee injury after working as a scout last fall.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Oregon couldn't be in better shape. The Ducks have a superstar atop the depth chart, a backup capable of starting should anything happen to James, and a bunch of talented options behind them to pick up whatever carries are leftover. The backups are unproven, certainly, but this is a position where raw athleticism usually translates quickly to production on the field.